Senators propose revival of U.S. farm disaster-relief programs

January 25, 2013|Reuters

* Disaster programs ran out of money in 2011

* Bill would keep aid flowing until new farm bill

WASHINGTON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Congress would revivedisaster-relief programs for farmers and ranchers hurt bydrought and other natural catastrophes under a stop-gap billintroduced on Friday by two key Senate committee leaders.

Producers could get up to $100,000 each for losses in 2012and this year. In particular, ranchers would benefit becausethey do not have access to federally subsidized insurance, asfarmers do for their crops.

The bundle of disaster programs, covering livestock, treeand fruit and vegetable producers, ran out of money in 2011.Attempts to restart them last year failed.

Democratic Senators Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and MaxBaucus of Montana filed the legislation, along with RepublicanRoy Blunt of Missouri. Stabenow chairs the Agriculture Committeeand Baucus chairs the Finance Committee. Blunt is the Republicanleader on the appropriations subcommittee for agriculture.

"We cannot allow farmers to be wiped out because of a fewdays of bad weather," said Stabenow. The co-sponsors said theirbill would keep disaster programs running while Congress writesa new five-year farm bill.

When the House of Representatives considered a one-yearagricultural disaster bill last summer, the Congressional BudgetOffice estimated it would cost $383 million. An estimate of thecost of the latest bill was not immediately available.

Farmers and ranchers were hit in 2012 by the worst droughtin 56 years. At its worst, the drought covered two-thirds of thecontinental United States, including prime land in the Plainsand the Corn Belt. Corn production fell by 12 percent from 2011.